Appendix 4 – Review of Baseline Data Indicator Current Data Comparators & Targets Trend Issues for Sustainability/ Issues for the LDF Topic: Air Quality There are no AQMAs in Mendip Rest of Somerset: Large areas of new 3 AQMAs: development must be Frome town centre is predisposed to air • Taunton Deane BC located in areas that Air Quality quality problems due to its street canyon - East Reach AQMA - NO²: north will not exacerbate air Management topography side of East Reach, Taunton quality problems Areas (AQMAs) - Henlade AQMA - NO²: A358 west through heavily of Henlade Crossway extending increased traffic (data Sourcei) 100m further west of Greylands levels • South Somerset DC - Yeovil AQMA - NO²: whole built up area including the airfield Core Strategy will Estimated Council → Mendip Sedge- South West Taunton Trend is shown as have to ensure that Background Air Pollutant↓ moor Somerset Somerset Deane levels declining for all new development is Pollution data NOx ‘04 9.7 12.1 9.8 7.8 10.8 councils within carefully located so NOx ‘05 9.4 11.6 9.5 7.5 10.4 Somerset. as not to exacerbate UK air quality NOx ‘10 7.8 9.4 7.8 6.2 8.4 air pollution levels archive provides NO2 ‘04 7.6 9.5 7.6 6.1 8.5 Mendip has second data on NO2, NOx NO2 ‘05 7.4 9.2 7.4 5.9 8.2 lowest levels for NOx & PM10 with 2004 NO2 ‘10 6.1 7.4 6.1 4.9 7.0 and NO2 and the as a measured PM10 ‘04 17.3 16.5 16.1 14.6 15.6 highest levels of base year with PM10 ‘05 17.2 16.4 16.0 14.4 15.4 PM10 estimates for 2005 PM10 ‘10 15.9 15.2 15.0 13.4 14.4 and 2010. NOx: Oxides of Nitrogen (measured in ugm-3 as NO2 annual mean) (data source 1) NO2: Nitrogen dioxide (measured in ugm-3 annual mean) PM10: Particulate Matter (measured in ugm-3 annual mean) (Data: mean average of all sites monitored in each district: Mendip 737 sites; Sedgemoor 561 sites; South Somerset 961 sites; West Somerset 743 sites; Taunton Deane 453 sites) Topic: Biodiversity, Flora & Fauna Designated sites must Designated Sites Special Areas of Conservation: Sites within the County: be protected and • Mells Valley SAC • Sedgemoor: - 19 SSSIs conserved. ii iii (data sources , ) • Mendip Woodlands SAC • South Somerset – 39 SSSIs Indicator Current Data Comparators & Targets Trend Issues for Sustainability/ Issues for the LDF • North Somerset & Mendip Bats SAC • West Somerset – 16 SSSIs Special Protection Areas: • Taunton Deane – 15 SSSIs • Somerset Levels & Moors RAMSAR Sites: • Somerset Levels & Moors Special Sites of Scientific Interest: There are 47 SSSIs in Mendip which cover almost 3% of the total area. Conditions of SSSIs in Mendip: Total SSSI Area (ha) 2040.5 Favourable 56% Unfavourable No 19% Change Unfavourable 16% Recovering Unfavourable 4% Declining Unknown Condition 5% National Nature Reserves: • Ham Wall NNR • Shapwick Heath NNR • Westhay Moor NNR • Rodney Stoke NNR • Ebbor Gorge NNR Local Wildlife Sites: There are approximately 418 LWS within the district Ancient Woodland: There are over 130 sites of ancient woodland within the district Geological Sites: Mendip has at least 45 important geological Indicator Current Data Comparators & Targets Trend Issues for Sustainability/ Issues for the LDF sites Protected Species Protected Habitats: No trend data New development & Habitats The current Mendip LBAP highlights the available must not have any following habitats as important: adverse effect on (Mendip protected • Tufa springs and streams protected flora and habitats and • Ancient broadleaved woodland fauna important species. • Wetland Extent of EU • Calcareous grasslands protected species • Neutral grasslands in the district) Species on LBAP Action Plan list (data source iv & v) The current Mendip LBAP highlights the following species as important: • Assellus Cavticus • Barn Owl • Green-winged orchid • Mountain bulin snail • Lesser silver water beetle • Marsh Fritillary • Large marsh grasshopper • Freshwater white-clawed crayfish • Water vole • Greater horseshoe bat Extent of EU protected species Species Area covered (ha) Lesser Horseshoe 2083 Bat Greater Horseshoe 6636 Bat Great Crested Newt 258 Pipistrelle Bat 17 Daubentons Bat 71 Dormouse 40 Topic: Climatic Factors Carbon Mendip has the third Sustainable Emissions Carbon Emissions: highest total CO² construction and the Area Industry & Domestic Road LULUCF Total Per emissions per capita direction of growth to Indicator Current Data Comparators & Targets Trend Issues for Sustainability/ Issues for the LDF (Total CO² Commercial Transport Emissions Capita in the county. sustainable locations emissions for each Total will be imperative for local authority by CO² Mendip has seen a the Core Strategy in sector, total & per Mendip 411 282 246 69 1009 9.31 0.6 tonnes increase order for the district’s capital in tonnes for Sedgemoor 528 287 410 81 1306 11.76 in per capita total emissions to 2006) South 494 423 364 55 1337 8.53 emissions between decrease Somerset 2005 and 2006 a 7% increase. This is by vi Taunton 264 270 325 15 873 8.13 (data source ) Deane far the highest in the West 181 101 96 7 385 10.91 county with two of the Somerset authorities experiencing a decrease in emissions. Installed 2005: Mendip has the renewable Installed renewable electricity capacity: Mendip: second lowest electricity Local Authority Number of grid connected Installed capacity (MW) Electricity projects 1 number of grid capacity in renewable energy projects (0.008MW installed) connected renewable district Mendip 2 0.02 energy projects, and Sedgemoor 8 2.6 Somerset: the second lowest (data source vii) Electricity projects 11 installed capacity. If viii South Somerset 6 5.19 (data source ) Taunton Deane 6 1.52 (9.439MW installed) the district is West Somerset 1 0.01 effectively going to Somerset Total 23 9.34 contribute to the South West Total 215 137 South West: regional targets the Electricity projects number of projects Draft RSS targets: 102 (109.4MW and the level of Somerset: 81-81MW Installed electricity generating capacity by 2010 installed) installed capacity will South West: 509-611MW Installed electricity generating capacity by 2010, need to increase. 850MW by 2020, therefore 20% of region’s electricity should be Mendip’s installed Renewable by 2020 renewable electricity The district could look capacity has at having it’s own increased by 2.5 renewable energy times what is was in policy within the Core 2005 by 2007 Strategy to increase the amount of installed capacity Installed 2005: Mendip has the renewable heat Installed renewable heat capacity: Mendip: lowest number of capacity in Local Authority Number of renewable heat Installed capacity (MW) Heat projects – renewable heat district projects unrecorded projects but the Indicator Current Data Comparators & Targets Trend Issues for Sustainability/ Issues for the LDF Mendip 6 0.66 second highest (data sources 7,8) Sedgemoor 9 0.12 Somerset: installed capacity. As South Somerset 12 0.63 Heat projects - above the district Taunton Deane 15 0.52 0.494MW installed could include it’s own West Somerset 15 0.44 policy and target for Somerset Total 57 2.37 South West: renewable heat South West Total 419 27.85 Heat projects – 549 capacity in the Core (5.031MW installed) Strategy Draft RSS targets: South West: 100MW Installed Thermal Capacity by 2010, 500MW by 2020 Energy Efficiency The overall Sustainable of dwellings in Energy efficiency of dwellings in the district (2006/7) improvement in construction will need the district Sector of housing % improvement in energy Reduction in CO² energy efficiency to be promoted efficiency achieved in 06/07 emissions 06/07 tonnes from 1 April 1996 to through the Core (owner Total for each sector April ’06 to March ’07: 31 March 2007 was Strategy which will occupied/local Owner/Occupied 5.0% 9505 19.49% ensure that new authority/private Local Authority 4.3% 579 dwellings are highly rented/housing Private Rented 1.1% 138 energy efficient. associations) Housing 3.1% 318 ix Associations (data source ) Total 4.5% 10540 Topic: Communities Snapshot of The Core Strategy will headline Indicator Glastonbury Street Wells Frome Shepton have to provide for household data Mallet changing household for the towns No. of dwellings 3,779 4,557 4,925 10,315 3,849 sizes, longer life Vacant expectancy etc. (comparison of household 1.8% 1.9% 3% 1% 3.4% headline household spaces data for each of the Average five towns) household size 2.24 2.32 2.10 2.37 2.35 (persons) x (data source ) Owner occupied 70% 71% 72% 74% 68.2% Rented from 13.6% 14.2% 12% 15% 15.2% Council/HA/RSL Privately rented 14.6% 12.9% 13% 10% 13.4% 1 person 31% 28.9% 36.5% 28.5% 28.4% Indicator Current Data Comparators & Targets Trend Issues for Sustainability/ Issues for the LDF households Households with dependent children & no 4.6% 3.42% 2.25% 4% 4.4% adult in employment Households with 1+ person with limiting long- 34.3% 32.8% 34% 30% 29.8% term illness No car/van 21.4% 19.9% 24% 18.7% 18.4% Snapshot of The Core Strategy will headline Indicator West Central East Community have to provide for household data Community Community Partnership Area changing household for the parishes in Partnership Area Partnership Area sizes, longer life the rural area No. of dwellings 2777 8109 5579 expectancy etc. Vacant household (comparison of spaces 1.8% 2.4% 2.9% headline household Average data for the rural household size 2.47 2.45 2.46 areas broken down (persons) into the three Owner occupied 78% 75.8% 72.9% community Rented from partnership areas) Council/HA/RSL 5.7% 8.3% 10.1% Privately rented 13.3% 12.4% 13% (data source 10) 1 person 21.7%